1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to safety glasses which provide protection to the eyes and, in particular, to a full sideshield for a removable attachment to an eyeglass frame without interfering with movement of the eyeglass temples.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.R.F. xc2xa7xc2xa71.97 and 198
Safety glasses are well known in the prior art and are used to protect the eyes of an individual from airborne particles, high-velocity projectiles, wind, and the like. As used herein, and by those skilled in the art, the terms xe2x80x9csafety glassesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ceyeshieldsxe2x80x9d typically mean a protective barrier in front of the eye. A xe2x80x9csideshield,xe2x80x9d on the other hand, typically means a protective barrier to the side, above or below the eye and normally supplements safety glasses.
There are many different types of sideshields that are used with eyeglass frames. For example, some are permanently attached to the eyeglass frames and provide reasonable protection for the top, side, and bottom of the eye. Sideshields providing such protection and which also fit a broad range of eyeglass frame shapes and sizes are known as universal sideshields. Further, an eyeglass frame, as used herein, is intended to include the front portion and temples or bows.
One such type of universal sideshield is of plastic construction having a side flap, partial top and bottom flaps, front flaps extending from each of the side and top portions, and bottom flaps extending from each of the side and top portions that fold around the front edge of the eyeglass frame. The temple of the eyeglass frame on each side is inserted through appropriate slots formed in the side portion of the sideshield so that the sideshield can slide on the temple toward the eyeglass front and be held in place by the temple. In such case, when the temples are folded, the sideshields move with the temples and thus are subject to repositioning themselves on the temples and requiring a readjustment each time the temples are folded and then unfolded.
Another type of sideshield includes substantially a clear side portion with a perpendicularly-extending top portion and a small perpendicularly-extending front portion that engages the front portion of the eyeglass frame. There is a resilient continuous elastic band that passes through four orifices in the side to enable the temples to slide under two spaced portions of the continuous elastic band to hold the sideshield to the temple of the glasses. Again, each time the temples are folded, the sideshield moves with the temples thus causing readjustment to be necessary each time the temples are folded and unfolded. Also, this sideshield provides very little protection for the top of the eye and none from the bottom.
A third type of universal sideshield is attached to the temple portion of the frame using a screw and nut that clamps the sideshield to the temple when tightened.
Another type of universal sideshield is formed of an injection molded flat part having four slots at different points through which the temple of the eyeglass frame can be threaded and attempt to adjust for pantoscopic angle variations.
Thus, these examples of prior art sideshields are attached to the temples and move with the temples except those which are permanently attached to the eyeglass front.
Further, each of the prior art detachable sideshields has a fixed pantoscopic angle (the angle the temple makes with the eyeglass front to which it is attached) molded into them that cannot be easily varied for eyeglasses with a different pantoscopic angle.
It would be desirable to have a full sideshield to provide substantial protection for the eye from the top, side, and bottom and which would fit a broader range of eyeglass frames than most sideshields, and which is not affected by the pantoscopic angle of the eyeglass frame.
The present invention provides full sideshields for removable attachment to an eyeglass frame without interfering with movement of the temples attached by hinges to the eyeglass frame. The sideshield is typically formed from a polycarbonate which may be transparent, absorptive or opaque and is generally arcuate-shaped having a periphery for generally conforming to the shape of the eyeglass frame and has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a side portion integrally formed as a single unit. A flange portion extends inwardly from at least one of the top, bottom or side portions of the sideshield in front of and substantially parallel to the eyeglass frame. An elastomeric member attaches the sideshield to the eyeglass frame without interfering with movement of the temples.
Thus, the present invention relates to a full sideshield to provide protection to the eye and which is removable attached to each side of an eyeglass frame having a pair of lens and a pair of pivotable temples attached to the eyeglass frame by hinges for holding the eyeglass frames on the head of the user.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, eyeglass hinges include a portion mounted to the front frame of the eyeglasses referred to as the xe2x80x9cframe front hingexe2x80x9d and a portion mounted to a temple referred to as the xe2x80x9ctemple hinge.xe2x80x9d The sideshield comprises a generally arcuate-shaped shield removably attached to each frame front in a fixed relationship and having a periphery generally conforming to the frame front. Each sideshield has a side portion integrally formed at a first edge to a top portion, and integrally formed at a second edge to a bottom portion for protecting the eyes of the user. A detachable elastomeric member releasably engages both the sideshield and a portion of the eyeglass frame between the lens holder and the hinge commonly referred to as the xe2x80x9cend piecexe2x80x9d or at the xe2x80x9cframe front itself to removably attach the sideshield to the lens frame in a fixed relationship without interfering with pivotal movement of the temples.
First and second spaced slots having a selected width are formed in the side portion, each extending from first and second enlarged slots in front of the sideshield along the first and second edges to enlarged areas which are also located toward the front of the sideshield. Third and fourth slots are formed in the rear portion of the sideshield and define a tab member.
An elastomeric member having a relaxed diameter greater than the width of the spaced slots is deformed to pass through the slots into the enlarged areas. The elastomeric member engages the end piece of the frame of the eyeglasses between the lens holder and the hinge or the frame front hinge itself and extends into the enlarged areas of the first and second spaced slots and along the first and second edges of the side portion into third and fourth spaced slots and then passes under the tab member.